Pea-cleaner.



B. REYNOLDS.

PEA CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.11,1911.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. REYNOLDS.

PEA CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, m1.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MW W a E. REYNOLDS.

PEA CLEANER.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT.11,1911.

Patented Mar. 31, 19%

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JuzE/ZZZJE- E. REYNOLDS.

PEA CLEANER,

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.11,1911. 1,091,534. Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

EDWARD REYNOLDS, OF STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO SPRAGUE CANNING- MACHINERY OF ILLINOIS.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION PEA-CLEANER.

Application filed September 11, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1', EDWARD REYNOLDS, of Sturgeon Bay, in the county of Door and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pea-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for cleaning shelled peas and has particular reference to a machine of this description which shall be of large capacity, simple in construction andefiicient in operation.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of conveyers, one of which shall provide a substantially continuous series of troughs extending over the floor of the liquid filled container, the troughs being adapted to automatically dump their contents.

A further object is they provision of a novel endless conveyer having a series of elongated scoops or troughs and arranged to be tilted to dump the material accumulated thereby during their passage through the tank and at substantially the surface of the liquid contained therein.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter, and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the threshing of peas, it has been found that the shelled peas cannot be completely separated from particles of the vines and pods, and particularly the seeds of the thistle, which grows with considerable success among pea vines, are found to be difficult of separation from the cleaned peas. Therefore many constructions have been suggested whereby this foreign matter and refuse may be separated from the peas by gravity action in connection with a bath of liquid.

I have presented in the present machine mechanism of simple and-durable construction adapted to secure the separation of these foreign particles from the peas.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, some of the parts being omitted for the sake of clearness Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the machine on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end elevation and partial section Specification of Letters Patent.

has a Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial No. 648,685.

through the machine at the feed chute; Fig. 5 s a side elevation of the feed chute;- Fig. 6 1s a side elevation of a portion of the upper conveyors; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail of two of the conveyer troughs forming the lower conveyer.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that acontainer 10 is mounted on suitable supports 11, the contamer having a circular bottom and being comparatively narrow with relation to its length. The container is strengthened at top and bottom by means of angles 12, 13 suitably secured thereto. Within the casing, and extending substantially from end to end thereof, deflectors-10 are provided in order that the peas may be directed to the conveyer troughs, and not allowed to lodge on projections or pass beneath the conveyer. A pipe 14 provided with a plurality of water discharge orifices 15 ,is projected transversely of the container and-com nected with a suitable source of water pressure, not shown. This water supply connection is near the upper right-hand corner of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1. A clean-out valve 16 is provided at the lowest point of the container, and an overflow 1 near the upper left-hand corner.

A feed trough extending transversely of the machine and mounted on standards 18 is suitably secured to one flange of the channels 12. This feed trough extends practically the width of the container and is composed of a casing 19 having downwardly converging walls, these walls terminating in a contracted neck 20. The opening at the bottom of the neck 20 is normally closed by an inclined, stepped feeding device 21 supported at one side by means of a link 22 and. at the other by a spring 23, one end of the spring being secured to a shaft 2 L mounted in a bracket 25 secured to the casing 19. The shaft 25 has a gear or ratchet 26 secured thereto, by means of which the shaft and spring 23 may be held in adjusted position. In order that the peas may be fed from the container, the feed plate 21 is reoiprocated by means of a connecting rod 27 having a strap passing over an eccentric 28 mounted on a shaft 29 carried in bearings 30 secured to the angle 12. This shaft 29 inion 31 secured to one end thereof,

this pinion being connected by a suitable chain 32 to a larger gear 33. This gear 33 is secured to a shaft 34, which carries also a conveyer wheel 35 around which the lower conveyor 36 is adapted to pass. The conveyer at the opposite end ofthe machine passes over an idler 37 and sprocket 38 secured-to the main drive shaft 39, having tight and loose pulleys 40 which may be connected to any suitable prime mover.

The construction of the conveyer 36 is best shown in Figs. 4 and 7. It will be seen that the conveyer is composed of a plurality of triangularly-shaped troughs 42 having overlapping sides 43 and provided with perforations 44 throughout the body thereof. These sections 42 are each provided with a small projecting flange 45, to which is r1veted a link of the conveyor chain 46. The chain, as shown in Fig. 4, is suitably guided within the container bymeans-of channels 47 secured to the inner face of the casing 10. It will thus be seen that a continuousmoving floor of troughs is provided and that no peas are allowed to pass therethrough and rest .upon the bottom of the container. It will be understood, of course, that the perforations-'44 are to permit the liquid contained in the tank topass out of the trough when it emerges from the liquid. Also mounted on the shaft 39 is a sprocket 48 with which a chain 49 meshes, the chain also passing around a further sprocket 50 secured on a shaft 51', said shaft 51 being mounted in bearings carried by a superposed framework 52.; It may be explained that this framework 52 carries also a substantial bracket 53 upon which the main drive shaft 39 is'mounted. The shaft 51 is provided on one end with a pinion 54 meshing with a gear 55, on shaft 56. This shaft 56 carries sprockets 57, around which passes conveyer chains 58. The conveyer follows a'substantially rectangular path by reason of the sprockets 59, 60, 61, a chain tightener 62 mounted on a pivot and weighted arms63 being provided to take up any slack.

In order that the conveyer buckets about to be described may enter the liquid and be properly positioned therein, there is provided a guide 64'extending from a point at the upper right-hand corner of the machine over sprocket 57 to a point underneath sprocket 60. In this way the buckets are properly guided in order that they may pass through c liquid with the opening of the trough properly presented. The guide 64 is provided on one side only of the machine and extends inward only a short distance, in fact, is adapted to receive only the end casting of the trough, as best shown in Fig. 1. A chute 65 is provided, into which all refuse collected from the tank is dumped.

The individual troughs forming the upper conveyor, together with means for tripping or dumping the same, are best shown in Fig.

'fixed stops 71, 72 provided portions thereof extend below the pivot pointand provide a weight whereby the trough is normally kept right side up, and also provide the means for tipping or dumping the trough. In the present instance, I

have provided three projections 70, these to contact with in a member 73 secured to a portion 74 of the upstandin projections being adapted framework 52. .It will be seen that as the Y buckets reach the projections 71 they are caused to tilt, and the projections 72, cause a jarring and jolt-ing' action, whereby the contents of the troughs are dumped into the chute or spout 65, the dumping action also preparing the troughs for proper presentation to the guide 64. I

The operation of the machine is as follows: Assuming a quantity of liquid in the tank, such liquid extending up to a point substantially in line with the chain 58 in the container, a quantity of peas which have been previously shelled, but which may contain foreign matter, are dumped into the feed trough l9 and the machine started into operation. Movement of the conveyor 36 will transmit movement to the eccentric 28 and cause the rapid reciprocation of the feed plate 21. In this manner peas are fed regularly and evenly to the tank. Inasmuch as the specific gravity of the peas is greater than that of the refuse, and also greater than the liquid, the good peas will sink and be caught in the troughs 42 of the lower conveyer. However, therefuse, being lighter than the water, will remain on the surface, and, due to the current of water caused by the passage of the conveyersjtherethrough, will be projected into the path of the troughs 66 of the upper conveyor, by which it will be scooped 0H thesurface of the water and carried to a point above the. chute 65,where it will be dumped. The good peas, however, will be carried by the troughs 42 out through the bottom of the tank over the sprockets '38, and after passing thereover be dumped into a suitable container, not shown. The operations above described are repeated indefinitely, it being understood that the feed trough 19 is kept supplied with peas and that a supply of liquid is furnished to the machine through the pipe 14.

The provision in a machine of this character of a lower pea conveyor which shall present an uninterrupted surface without allowing the escape of any peas onto the floor of the container constitutes a novel improvement. In this way no peas areallowed to escape, and the separation of the broken pods, vines, thistle seeds and any other foreign matter is made complete.

It will be obvious that many modifications may be made in the construction herein shown and described, all without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid container, a water inlet at one end and an outlet at the other, deflectors mounted on the side walls of the container and extending downwardly and obliquely therefrom throughout substantially the length of the container, an inlet carrier mounted to travel on the bottom of the container and to return above the level of the liquid therein, said conveyer composed of a plurality of units having overlapping side walls and of a length approximating the cross dimensions of the container, the ends of the trough units traveling beneath the deflectors, means tosupply the material to be washed at one end of the container, means to skim the floating debris from the surface of the water, and separate discharges for the washed material and the debris, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid container having substantially vertical parallel side walls and i an arc-shaped bottom and end walls, a water inlet and a water outlet, a deflector mounted on each of the side walls of the container and extending downwardly and obliquely therefrom throughout substantially the length of the container, an endless conveyer mounted to travel on the bottom of the container and to return above the level of the liquid therein, said conveyer composed of a plurality of perforated trough-shaped units having overlapping side walls and of a length approximating the cross dimensions of the container, the end walls of the units traveling beneath the deflectors, means to supply the material to be washed at one end of the container means to skim the floating debris from the surface of the water, and separate discharges for the washed material and the debris, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid container having substantially vertical parallel side walls and an arc-shaped bottom and end walls, a water inlet and a water outlet, a deflector mounted on each of the side walls of the container and.extending downwardly and obliquely therefrom throughout substantially the length of the container, an endless conveyer mounted to travel on the bottom of the container and to return above the level of the liquid therein, said conveyer composed of a plurality of perforated trough-shaped units having overlapping side walls and of a length approximating the cross dimensions of the container, the end walls of the units traveling beneath the deflectors, means driven in isochronism with the conveyer for supplying the material to be washed at one end of the container, means to skim the floating debris from the surface of the water, and separate discharges for the washed material and the debris, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid container having substantially parallel side walls, and an areshaped bottom and end walls, a water inlet at one end and an outlet at the other, an endless conveyer having a natural droop corresponding substantially to the curvature of the bottom of the container and mounted to travel on said bottom and to return above the level of the liquid within the container, said conveyer composed of a plurality of perforated trough-shaped units having overlapping side walls and of a length approximating the cross dimensions of the container, a pair of deflectors mounted one on each side wall of the container and extending downwardly and obliquely therefrom throughout substantially the length of the container and below the water level, means to cause the conveyer to traverse the bottom of the container in the direction of the flow of water therein, means to skim the floating debris from the surface of the water, said means traveling in the direction of the flow of the water, and means driven in isochronism with the conveyer for supplying the material to be washed at that end of the conveyer adjacent the water inlet, substantially as described.

EDWARD REYNOLDS.

\Vitnesses:

BARBARA SOUKUP, HARRIET M. REYNOLDS. 

